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ID4me is an internet service that enables its users to log in to many different internet services with one account. This is also known as "single sign on".

Unlike existing global single sign on solutions like the ones from Google or Facebook, ID4me does not track and analyze the internet surfing habits of its users. ID4me will make sure that the surfing habits stay secret.

Also, ID4me does not belong to an enterprise. It is an open standard that is maintained by a nonprofit organization. Anyone who wants to can participate. This way the users can chose freely between different ID4me providers and can also change the provider anytime.

These wearables control your mind

Do you ever wish you could just tap your smartphone and change your mood? Well, now you can. New mind-altering wearables are on the market. They trigger responses in your brain and make you feel happy and energized. Come and see what they're all about.

Mainstream mood changing wearables

There are quite a few of these mind altering headsets on the market made by some major manufacturers. But two in particular have been getting the most attention. Both seek to improve your mental and emotional life, but their methods are quite different.

Thync is a startup that focuses solely on its mood-changing wearable. Its product works by using neurostimulation on your temples and the back of your neck. The nerves it activates trigger adrenaline responses in the body and affect your energy or mood. You just strap it to your head and use the app to help you sleep, get you out of a lazy mood or get you motivated to exercise.

Muse, on the other hand, monitors your brain and calms you down when you are stressed out. It gives you feedback on what your mind is doing. If you are stressed and your brain is out of sorts, you are prompted to take meditation sessions with sounds that seek to calm you. It can even help you sleep.The app gives you feedback on your brain activity for a given time and you can set goals and change your state of mind as necessary.

Concerns about the technology

We do remain skeptical of the risks associated with mood-changing wearables. Thync seems especially risky because it uses electrical shocks to manipulate our senses. But the company has run tests and, at even the highest settings, reports that the feeling is akin to a 'freeze headache' you might feel while drinking a cold milkshake.

Muse's risks are less apparent since it seems less invasive. There is, however, the cost of not listening to your body when it's stressed and instead depending on an app. Meditation is also about being alone and using your active mind to focus and slow your thinking. This is something that could be lost with Muse.

The final concern is the danger of a dystopic world where machines control our moods. Of all the worries about this technology, this is the least to worry about. You can always just take the wearables off; nobody is forcing you to wear them.

What they can do for us

We're always looking for ways to better ourselves through technology and this is a great opportunity. Unfortunately, work is becoming more and more stressful for some of us. After-hours work email wasn't something we had to worry about so much in the past ,or at all. There is more competition and we are expected to be sharper for a longer amount of time during the day.

Many professions now require constant availability and finding some time just to unload can be difficult. That's where these devices could really help. You might not even need to set aside time in the future. You could instead just keep the wearable on all day. It may seem odd but it could be the best thing for everyone.

Our society could improve with this technology. If everyone is happier and more focused then we can expect some changes. Maybe there will be less mistakes made by workers. We could see cordial interactions among more relaxed people in better moods. Overall, I think these are a positive addition to our technological arsenal.

What do you think about mood changing wearables? Let us know in the comments.

7 comments

Nice article! A year ago I hardly used any app to help me do whatever I was doing. Fastforward to today and if you look at the apps that I am using, there are a few helping do whatever I do faster, more effective, in less time. Fitness and health is one of those categories. Productivity is another. As some of these solutions are growing on me, I learned that most of these tools are useless though. But if a tool does what it promises, I believe technology can be a powerful ally for humanity in bettering ourselves.

Very interesting and very disturbing article... got me thinking about the Twilight App.... which seems like a good idea but if your mobile use is affecting your sleep you really need to think on your priority's... if your life is too stressful take RESPONSIBILITY for your life and the way you choose to feel about it....human being is physical emotional experience and endeavour and sharing and I'm sure we weren't meant to be connected 24/7 to a mobile phone......then again maybe we should all just plug in to VR from birth..

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